The Bozeman weekly chronicle. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1883-1889, 1887-07-06

Effle speak to her, and white paper pass
into her hand. Whatever it was she
knew and would tell me. She did That
evening she brought letter into my
rOom-a letter that Mrs. Bray had ex-
hbited to all the house-a love letter
from Harry Heathcotc, tenderer and
more passionate than any he had ever
written to me, and with his undoubted
signature at its foot. 1t was no forgery.
| even knew the paper, a rare and costly
kind, with his own monogram upon it.
1t began Darling" and ended Your own
Harry"
l did not scream, did not swoon;
faced the terrible truth as best might.
She had won him from me; but I was in
no wise to blame. I was true. was
sinned against, not shining, and the blow
should not crush me.
did not even allow myself to play the
mourner. Contempt of my lover had
taken the place Of love.
He would know l did not grieve for
him; and l asked good old Mr.. Halloran
to be my escort to the party next even
Ing with a srnfle or my face, though my
heart ached "orely and life seemed cold
and cruel thing to me.
They told me was gay that night.
chatted, l ate and drank, danced when
ever was asked to do So All the while
the words of that letter Harry had written
to Mrs. Bray were in my heart.
When old Mr.. Halluran took me home
he told me had "wearied myself out and
was beginning to feel it." But I was
strong yet
As went up stairs old Mrs. Horton
looked out of her room.
Your beau was here tonight" she
said. 81 expect he was cut up to find
you out, but Mrs. Bray took care Of
him."
tried to laugh. All my life I felt
must now laugh when had rather cry. |
must hide my heart. No one should ever
call me disappointed" woman. No one
should speak of me as one who had been
Tilted.
wrapped myself in my dressing gown
and sat before the fire. could not sleep.
I could not even lie down. The clock
struck 12, /, 2, and still l watched the
dying embers. Ten minutes more had
gone by, when suddenly II frightful shrek
rang through the housc-another and
another. l rushed to the door. Other
people were in the entry. The shreks
came from Mrs. Bray's room, and ere we
could open it, 1t was flung wide and she
rushed toward us, her long white night
robe & Il ablaze, horrible moving column
Of fire.
don't know what thought. don't
know what did cannot remember any
thing more until had her down upon the
floor with blanket had snatchcd from
pile that lay on the table in the entry
wrapped about her. heard myself cry
ing: "Lie still and you will save your
face" And saw the flames choke out,
and the light, black tinder floating about
me, and knew that had at least saved
her from being quite burned to death.
Soon knew that had saved her life
| 1t was night again when some one came
to my door and told INT that Mrs. Bray
wished to see me. OF course, vent to
her. She was lying in her bed, wrapped
in bandages, and she could not stir, but
she looked at me earnestly.
"Send them out of the room," she said,
81 want to speak to you alone"
And when the nurse had closed the door
between herself and Mrs. Horton, she
looked at me again in the same strange
way.
'sYou saved my life," she said. eyes,
and remember what you said: Lie still
and you'll save your face Most women
would have liked me to have spoiled my
face had used them SO. And you don't
know the world, either. Go to that desk
There's a letter there. It's yours. I
wanted to make you Jealous, and wrote
to your beau to ask his escort somewhere.
1.-TWO notes came at the same time to
the house. knew very we'll that there
was mistake made--that mine had been
put into your envelope and yours into
mine. scratched your name out of that
one you have there and showed it about
to make you Jealous. He's as true as steel
to you. I love you for saving my face
and tell you that. Now, try to forgive
me-"
was too happy to do anything else.
knew that what she said was true. And
when she asked me l stopped down and
gave her II kiss.
1t was our last interview. When Mrs
Bray recovered She left Mrs. Horizons.
and Harry Heathcote never knew any,
thing about those two miserable days until
had been his wife too long to have any
secrets from him.-New York Journal